Unexpected
by ribbonista
Summary: Gob and the Lone Wanderer form a close bond. This is my first fan fiction, and I still need to refine my writing skills, so excuse the shitty title :') Rated M for language, violence, and *sexual themes*
1. Chapter 1

First chapter of my first fanfic! I'm a little nervous to say the least *_*; Cw for misogynistic slurs in this chapter!

* * *

The Lone Wanderer marveled at the sight of Megaton. It was huge, extraordinary and...completely hideous! Her lips curled into a snarl at the large bulk of metal that stood out like a sore thumb. It had only been an hour or two since she emerged from the vault, and the capital wasteland was still very much unfamiliar territory. Admittedly. she'd always used to daydream about what it was like outside the confined area of the vault, picturing large cities and beautiful buildings, much like those in Pre-War times. Also admittedly, she'd never paid too close attention in class. She quickly snapped out of her thoughts when she realized the gate to the city had been opened for probably three full minutes. Noticing people were staring at her expectantly, she gathered her bearings and started walking.

.oOo.

She took in her surroundings as she stepped foot into the large settlement. She had to admit she was ever so slightly fascinated by it, and though the whole thing looked terribly rickety, it somehow looked sturdy at the same time. She noticed a man walking towards her. He must've been in his mid 40s, but with the harshness of the wastes, everyone looked awfully weathered and it was honestly hard to tell. He had a dark complexion and a rough beard, though the first thing she took notice of was his hat. He'd reached her now. "Well I'll be damned" he said with a chuckle, "I ain't seen one of those jumpsuits in a long, long time. Name's Lucas Simms, town sheriff. And mayor too, when the need arises." He seemed nice. She immediately felt a sense of comfort, considering for a split second that maybe things wouldn't be so awful out here. Her mind flickered back to her father. "I'm looking for my father. Middle-aged guy, hispanic, maybe you've seen him?" she said, careful not to get her hopes up too high. That was never a good thing; It'd happened far too many times and she wanted to avoid disappointment as much as possible, knowing she'd probably be in for a lot of it. She caught his smile faltering for a second. "Can't say I have. You might want to go visit Colin Moriarty up at the saloon about that. But be careful about talking to him - he's bad news." "I will, thank you Lucas." "Mind your manners now" he replied with a warm smile and a tip of the hat before walking down the slope again. She scanned the town quickly, looking for the saloon Sheriff Simms had mentioned.

.oOo.

It was pretty crummy, not that she'd expected anything better. The place was packed with drunks and the smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke filled her nostrils. She probably stood out; her hair was still styled and her face was still clean and made up. She'd stole some makeup from Butch's mom before leaving - it's not like she even used it anymore. She'd already caught some people staring at her - it was probably the vault suit. She sat down on one of the bar stools, next to a man wearing plated armor - his head was bald but she couldn't tell if it was from shaving or hairloss. He looked gruff and intimidating, and there was a permanent scowl painted on his face. Almost as if he could hear her talking shit about him to herself, he turns to face her. "Oh, look. It's another one of you pampered vault assholes. Look here, vault asshole - I don't like you. Steer clear of me, and we won't have any trouble." She was taken aback by his crudeness, but the smell of alcohol on his breath made it clear he was drunk. She fished out a pack of cigarettes and put one in her mouth. "You're too tense, it wrinkles your face." she chipped while flickering with the lighter. She took the pack and held it out to him, "Want one? It might help you relax a little." "Are you fucking kidding me? Get out of my face." he scoffed in reply. She barked a laugh; "Whatever you problem is, I suggest you get over it, now." Now it was his time to laugh. "Oh yeah? What's a stuck up little vault bitch like you gonna do?" Their conversation must've gotten louder because people had started to look up from their drinks and the chatter and laughter had died down considerabely. Suddenly a man stalked out of the storage room. "Hey!" he eyed the two tentatively, his eyes lingering on her for a second longer. "Don't be bringing trouble into me bar, now, or you'll both be out on yer arse in a second!" Colin. She slowly stood up and brushed off her suit before speaking. "Sorry, sir. It won't happen again. Are you Moriarty?" He cocked an eyebrow at her before grinning widely. "I'm guessin' you're new here? Colin Moriarty, at your service. This is my saloon, my home, my little slice of heaven in this backwoods little burg." The irish accent practically dripped from his voice. "If you've got the caps, I've got your pleasure. Please, sit down, make yourself comfortable. Your troubles are a thing of the past!" She shifted her weight on to her other foot; "Actually, I'm looking for my father. Middle aged guy, have you seen him?" His eyes widened slightly in realisation. "My god, it's you... The little baby girl all grown up. Persistent little flower, ain't ya? Then and now it would seem." He gave a happy sigh "It's been a looong time, kid.." She looked like a huge questionmark. She'd never met this man in her entire life, let alone been outside her entire life. "Oh, your daddy passed through here, all right. Here and gone. Got what he came for, then left. I'm assuming you'll do the same...correct?" Her eyebrows furrowed and she couldn't hide the puzzled expression on her face. "My father and I were born in Vault 101.." His face turned every shade of amused "Is that what your father told you?" He said in between laughs, "That you were born in that hole? That HE was born there as well?" she quickly grew frustrated at his obnoxious giggling, and the urge to punch him in the gut was growing. He wiped a tear from his eyes, "Ohh, the lies we tell to those we love..." "You're lying." "Noo noo noo, your father brought you to the vault after you were born, to keep you safe, you see! I remember it clear as day - you stayed in my saloon after all." _No you didn't. He's lying. _"That's right. Your father, his brotherhood of steel friend, and you, the suckling babe with nary a tit to suckle.. Sorry about your mom, truly." _How the hell did he know about mom? _She gave a weary sigh. "Look, I just want to know where my dad is." "You seem like a nice kid, so I'll give it to you straight. Your dad was here, and now he's not. Yes, I know where he went. But what you're asking me for is information...and information is a commodity." She didn't like where this was going at all. "Let's say, hmm..100 caps, and daddy's location is yours." She froze. "I don't have 100 caps." she uttered, her voice only barely a whisper. She didn't have all the time in the world, and her father could be anywhere. He might not even be alive; her stomach knotted at the thought. "Never mind, I'll find him myself."


	2. Chapter 2

300 caps!? The Lone Wanderer kicked the wall of the saloon in frustration. That lousy bastard. She'd just managed to scrounge up the 100 caps the old man had asked for, and now this? It had taken everything she had not to just punch him square in the jaw, and even now it seemed awfully tempting. She needed the cool down, she needed to figure something out. She needed a drink. The girl exhaled and brushed off her dress before walking back inside. The place was packed, no surprise there. She silently thanked God that Moriarty wasn't anywhere to be seen. Sitting down at the bar, she fished out a pouch containing a few caps. Might as well spend it - she was going to be here for a while. She'd be lying if she said that she hadn't considered ditching the search all together. He _did _specifically ask for her not to come after him. But no, she needed answers. She needed to know why he abandoned her and what could've possibly been more important than his own daughter. The lump in her throat got bigger as the realisation of how much she missed him hit her with full force - it had already been 3 days since she last saw him, and she couldn't help but worry if it would be the last time.

.oOo.

**27 March, 2077**

The door to the clinic slid open and in walked officer Gomez, tightly gripping the arm of the Lone Wanderer in one hand, and Butch in the other. James looked up from his work, seeing that the two were completely tattered. His daughter had a bloody nose, and Butch was sporting a black eye.

"What the hell happened?" James said, knowing exactly what answer to expect. They'd gotten into fights before, and somehow they kept getting nastier.

"She started it!" Butch groaned.

"You're so full of shit! You groped me!" she snapped, her frustration showing clear as day.

"Maybe if you weren't such a fuckin' tease we wouldn't be having this problem!" he retorted. They both struggled against the officers grip, who wouldn't budge.

"I'll leave this to you, James." Gomez said before letting the two loose. Butch rubbed his bruised upper arm, while the Lone Wanderer gave him a menacing look. James suddenly looked exhausted as he sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. He reached into one of the drawers and pulled out an ice pack for Butch's eye and some cotton for his daughters nose. Handing it over, he cautiously looked at them.

"This is the third time this week. Can't you two give it a rest?" James pleaded, "I can't waste all of our medical supplies on patching you up everytime you get in a squabble! Now apologize to each other."

"What are we, 7?" she scoffed. James gave her a warning glare, which seemed to make her get the idea. She groaned and turned to face Butch, "I'm sorry I punched you in the face." she mumbled.

"Apology accepted - and I'm sorry I grabbed you. You're so tough to resist!" Butch replied, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. She took a step forward and balled her fists. Butch put his hands up in mock-surrender and backed away, that obnoxious grin still plastered on his face. She wanted to wipe it off. With her fist.

"My daughter might not be so patient next time, so be careful." James said, a warning apparent in his voice. Butch walked out the room, mumbling something about squares. As he left the clinic James gestured for his daughter to sit down.

"What's going on with you lately? You've been acting so strange." her father inquired, a concern look splayed across his features.

"I'm fine." That was probably the most used phrase in the book, but she didn't want to discuss it with anyone and she hoped her father would get the idea and stop prodding.

"No you're not! You can't keep hiding these things from me, they're going to keep getting worse." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat before opening her mouth to speak.

"Am..am I a burden?" That wasn't what he'd expected to hear, as was made obvious by his expression. She continued, "I hear you talking to her sometimes in your sleep, and then I feel like complete shit because I.." Her voice cracked and she felt tears prickling in the corners of her eyes, "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I took her away from you"

Her father held her as she began shaking. She hated crying, but years of bottling feelings up gave her tendency to just...burst. She sobbed onto her fathers chest as he combed his fingers through her hair, making soothing "shh" sounds.

"I loved your mother very much. She...looked forward to meeting you. Before she passed, she looked me right in the eyes and told me to raise you well. Had she been here today, I think she'd be very proud of you, honey. And if nothing else, please believe that she loved you too."

.oOo.

"Hey, lady, are you okay?" Gob repeated for the third time. The girl was completely out of it, like she'd managed to just shut out everything. Her eyes were glazed over and her expression was entierly blank. Suddenly she stirred.

"Huh?" she said, only now realizing someone was trying to communicate with her. Gob backed away slightly, unsure of what she was going to say or do. "Oh, sorry. I got lost in thought for a minute there." she yawned, suddenly feeling a little sleepy. The ghouls expression changed into to one of surprise. Maybe a little bit of confusion, as well.

"Wait..you're not gonna hit me? Yell at me? Not even berate me a little bit?" he questioned. Her eyebrows knitted.

"I...haven't really planned on it?" she tried. Crossing his arms, he gave a cheeky grin.

"Well now, that's a surprise! I'm used to every asshole smoothskin treating me like shit just because I look like a corpse." he mused. He was practically beaming - it was kind of cute. "Listen kid, Moriarty would have my head if he caught me selling at a discount, but for you, I'll risk it." She was going to turn his offer down, not wanting to put him at any sort of risk, but she realized she could use the savings. Considering her current economical situation, and all.

"So, uh.." he began, looking down at the glass he was polishing "You looked pretty out of it there...is everything alright? You don't have to tell me, I mean, it's not really any of my business -"

"It's okay!" she assured, nudging his shoulder. The unexpected physical contact made him tense up a little, but a sense of warmth soon returned to his core. Maybe he'd like this girl. "I was just..thinking about some stuff. I'm, uh..trying to find my father. Speaking of which, have you seen him? He's in his early 50s, hispanic..he should be wearing a vault suit, like me." Gob shifted uncomfortably where he stood, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'd love to tell you, kid, but I really shouldn't.." he rasped.

"So you know?" she tapped her fingers on the bar surface.

"No! Technically. Look I - Moriarty will kick my ass if he finds out I told you. I'm sorry." he sounded desperate, not wanting her to get sick of him so fast. He really would tell her, but he still had some pretty nasty bruises and he didn't want to risk getting more of them. He felt like a coward. Her face showed no sign of disappointment. It didn't show any sign of anything; it was completely blank.

"Alright. Thank you for your help." she said in a blasé manner before turning around and heading out of the saloon.

* * *

((I feel like every Gob/LW story has a similar structure - pretty lady walks into the saloon, treats Gob like a person, he gets a dorky crush on her bc he's an emotional little lamb who is petrified of everything that bumps and moves in the night, at some point they end up doing the do and Moriarty is a giant shit-trumpet whilst Nova is there for moral support? idk idk

I've got some ideas for the future of this fic that i plan on putting into the works though, so sit tight while i work on making this mess actually legible))


	3. Chapter 3

Gob knocked on her door for a second time. He felt antsy and nervous - it was in the middle of the night and if Moriarty realized he'd gone outside the confines of the saloon he'd kill him. He heard footsteps inside of the house.

"Hang on! Hang on.." he heard her shout, clearly a little irritated at being woken up so early. The door swung open and Gob jumped back a little to avoid getting smacked in the face by it. "Listen, buddy, it's 1 in the morning, so this better be good-" she ranted before cutting herself off. "Oh, Gob. Wait, what are you doing outside at this time? Are you crazy?"

"I need to keep this quick! But I _can_ help you with your dad." he urged. The Lone Wanderer stepped aside, allowing him entrance into the house. It had a very pleasant atmosphere, reminiscent of the pre-war era. A Nuka-Cola machine stood in the corner, and a robot hovered in the air.

"Can I get anything for the young gentleman? A beverage? A haircut?" the robot inquired.

"Uh, no, I'm fine, thank you." the ghoul replied.

She gestured for him to sit down on the couch and then sat down across him, giving him an expectant look.

"You said you could help me with my dad?" she prompted.

"Yeah! Moriarty has a terminal in the supply room, containing information on residents and visitors, but you have to be careful, and you can't tell him I told you!" he paused and sighed. "I really don't want anything happening to you." had he still had them, she would've seen his eyebrows furrowing.

"That's it? Piece of cake. Well, I'm not going to waste any time, but you should return to the saloon before he wakes up and finds you gone. I'll be sneaky about it, don't worry." she said with a reassuring smile. She pulled him into a tight embrace. "Thank you so much for this, I know you're risking a lot by telling me." As she sprinted upstairs to go get ready, Gob stood there completely dumbfounded, the corners of his lips twitching into a smile.

.oOo.

Gob walked back and forth in his room, anxiety making it impossible for him to fall asleep or even sit still. She was going to be here any minute. He played out several scenarios in his head of all the things that could go possibly wrong - he silently cursed himself for being so stupid as to put her in this kind of danger. He stopped when he heard a low creaking of a door on the bottom level. Gob opened the door ever so slightly, sticking his head out to confirm that it was her. Indeed, it was.

.oOo.

The Lone Wanderer carefully shut the door behind her, sight falling upon the terminal in the far corner of the room. She sneaked up to it and sat down on the chair, pressing the power button. Figuring out the password wasn't exactly difficult - she didn't have any experience in the hacking field but even she could recognize "LOTSACAPS" right away. She took a sharp intake of breath through clenched teeth when the terminal made a loud *beep*. Trying to press the keys as slowly and quietly as possible was an awkward and inefficient tactic, but the anticipation of Moriarty kicking the door open and skinning her alive made her uneasy, to say the least. She scrolled through the list of visitors, noticing the name "James" immediately. She began reading, feeling a sense of hope come over her.

_"So, out of nowhere, James came back to Megaton. Since he stayed here before he asked me where the hell he could get a lay of the land and find out what's going on in the world. I told him about Galaxy News Radio in the ruins of D.C., and that guy Three Dog. Then like that, he was gone again._

_I remember the first time he..._

.oOo.

Gobs attention snapped to the right as he heard a door being opened. Moriarty. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. SHIT. Moriarty stalked out of his room and down the stairs. Gob had to do something.

"Uh, hey, Moriarty" he started. He'd began speaking without even knowing what he was going to say. Colin stopped halfway down the rickety staircase, turning to face the ghoul.

"Didn't I tell you to go the fuck to bed? I can't have you stinkin up the place at this hour!" Moriarty began walking again, when Gob interrupted him once more.

"Yeah, well? I just wanted to tell you that, uh.. you're full of shit! And this dump stinks as it is already!" Gob said with a confidence he didn't feel. _I am undoubtedly the biggest moron alive. _Moriarty's brows lowered as he nonchalantly cupped his hand behind his ear.

"What was that, zombie? Because it sounded ta me like you were achin' to get yer ass kicked!"

"Try me." Gob said, his voice cracking. It was too late to turn back now. The mans face turned every shade of crimson as he stormed up the stairs.

"I'll make ya eat those words, ya fetid heap o' shit!" he roared, rolling up his sleeves and clenching his fists. Panic overtook Gob as he ran back into his room, shutting the door behind him. It wasn't like he genuinely thought that would make him back off, and he was proven right when Moriarty kicked down the door and stomped into the room. He grabbed the ghoul by his collar, lifting him off the ground like he didn't weigh a thing, and roughly shoved him against the wall. Gob clenched his eyes shut, as Moriarty swiftly threw him to the ground. Fueled by his burning rage, he kicked Gob in the ribs with all the strength he had. The ghoul held his side, a groan of pain escaping him. Barely having any time to recover from the previous blow, he got punched square in the jaw. And again. And again. It wasn't that big of deal - he'd been beaten by the guy before. But somehow this was more painful than any beating he'd ever recieved - as if Moriarty had finally been pushed over the edge. Moriarty kicked him repeatedly, causing a pain so intense that it was almost sort of numbing. As suddenly as it'd started, it stopped. Was he done? So soon? Gob felt a warm liquid drip on his face, causing him to slowly and very cautiously open one of his eyes. He was met with the sight of Moriarty. His face had froze in an expression of shock and pain, a deep crimson dripping from his open mouth. Gob screamed from the top of his lungs. Panicked, he pushed Colin off of himself, frantically backing off into the corner, his screams of horror not subsiding. The Lone Wanderer grabbed him by the arm and shut him up by putting her hand over his mouth.

"Stop screaming, god damn it! You'll wake up the whole fucking town!" she hissed through clenched teeth. Gob nodded quickly in response, making her remove her hand. He hugged his knees, burying his face in them to muffle his sobbing. "No no no no no, don't cry, don't cry." She scooted closer to him and wrapped her arms around him, placing her hand on the back of his head. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, not bothering to hold back the crying any longer. She held him close as he shook, rubbing her thumb in a circular motion on his back. He realized he was practically gripping on to her as if she were a life line - he'd never been this close to anyone, not physically. It was comforting. She eventually broke off the embrace. The dull light emitting from her pip-boy hit the full extent of his injuries - he was completely crushed.

"Jesus Christ.." she muttered. "What were you thinking?" What _was_ he thinking? Colin had been used to Gob messing up, and the abuse, both physical and mental, had almost become a normal part of every day life. But the Lone Wanderer.. that was entierly different. He didn't want to think about what Moriarty might've done to her, had he caught her going through his personal files. Gob wouldn't be able to handle that kind of guilt, knowing he'd been responsible for such a thing happening. He snapped back to reality when she exhaled harshly through her nose. "Never mind, just- just be more careful next time, alright? You don't need to worry about me."

She reached into her backpack, pulling out a stimpack and some Med-X. "This should hold you over until we get to the clinic. After we get you fixed up, we're getting the hell out of here."

He took a moment to let her words settle in. _We? _As in, him and her?

"What do you mean?" he rasped. The dull rays shining through the sheets of metal that made up the wall indicated it was near morning. They didn't have a lot of time before someone would discover the body.

"We're not staying here, that I know. We're lucky that we didn't wake up all of Megaton! Now, come on, lets get you to the doctor." And with that, she swung his arm over her shoulder and helped him out of the saloon.

* * *

Jeez, this story is a heap of shit. I'll work on getting it more polished up - promise! Until then, take this.


	4. Chapter 4

Weeks had passed since their departure from Megaton - weeks, and Gob had still not managed to wrap his head around the fact that he was free. During this time, he'd gotten better aqquainted with the Lone Wanderer. He'd picked up on several things about her during their travels. Silly habits, tiny details, though her name had not been one of them. She was a pretty little thing, he'd admit, though there was a certain coldness in the way she approached others. She'd been all business when dealing with Three Dog up in the GNR building plaza, and she'd been all business when dealing with Tenpenny and Roy Phillips. She took on an all too familiar bitch-face when she awoke in the morning, and wore it until she went back to sleep. But not when they were alone. When they were alone, they'd share stories from their childhood, discuss philosophical matters, or just look at the stars. She had a peculiar laugh, almost fitting the bill of a cackle, but it was so genuine. So endearing. His friendship with her was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. She acted naturally around him, even occasionally patted his back when he was sad, or grabbed his arm to pull him to the ground when they got fired at. A pretty standard action when being shot at, sure, but it made him warm inside nonetheless. He almost forgot about his ghoulhood when they were alone, only to quickly be reminded of it when others were around. He fondly recalled the time when some guy had mumbled several insults at him as he passed them by, not loudly, but enough to catch her attention, to which the she'd had responded by telling him to eat shit. She was somethin' else, he mused quietly, giving a dreamy sigh and leaning his face on his hand. He was like a schoolboy crushing on some pretty substitute teacher. Jeez, this wouldn't end well. Crushes never did on his part. The memory of overhearing a customer asking Nova about him was permanently pinned onto his brain. "There are some places even I wont go", Nova had said. He never knew words could pack such a punch, especially considering that he'd recieved more than his fair share of slander. And God knew that the Lone Wanderer's standards were probably a _few_ steps above Nova's. There was no hope in the world that anything would ever happen between them. He had a nasty tendency to become over-attached to anyone who treated him with basic respect, something that always came back to bite him in the ass, sooner or later.

.oOo.

"Alright, so we're headed up to the Jefferson Memorial. I hear there's an abundance of Super Mutants up there, though, so we need to be prepared. How are you with a rifle?", the Lone Wanderer spoke, carefully running down a list of things to bring.

"Huh?" Gob responded, apparently not hearing her.

"I said, how are you with a rifle?"

"Oh, uh. Not good."

"Small guns?"

"N-No."

"..Melee weapons?"

"I can't.. I can't really fight." Gob mumbled sheepishly, furrowing his eyebrows and staring down at the table. Christ. She didn't want to leave him behind, but bringing him along could run the risk of him getting hurt.

"Ah. Alright then, I'll.. I'll figure something out." she replied, sounding more exasperated than intended. She lifted herself off her seat and walked towards the exit, Gob perking up with a confused look on his face.

"Where are you going?" he questioned.

"Stay here, I'm gonna go set some things up for you." she responded, smiling warmly at him and closing the door behind her.

.oOo.

15 minutes passed before she walked through the door again, grabbing Gob by the arm and pulling him outside. She led him down the metal staircase, and across the bridge leading to Rivet City. Dussins of odds and ends stood in a neat line - glass bottles, tin cans, plates.. The Lone Wanderer grabbed one of her rifles and handed it to him with an expectant look. Was he supposed to shoot with it? He took it and held it awkwardly, like a lefthanded person trying to hold a pencil in their right, and tried aiming it at one of the bottles. He slowly squeezed the trigger and was rewarded with the butt of the rifle slamming into his chest, the bullet not even coming close to hitting his target.

"Oh, yeah, you might want to try having a steadier grip on the gun. Here." She reached around him and put her hands over his, repositioning the rifle. Oh god. Was he sweating? "Stand with your feet apart - you need to maintain balance. Or you'll get knocked on your ass again." She laughed and leveled the scope with his head. "Okay, shoot." He fired off a shot, piercing the teddybear in the chest and shattering the glass bottle behind it. She let go of him and gestured for him to shoot again. Once more, he fired off a shot, hitting a tin can that was knocked off the cement railing and fell down into the murky waters below. "You're getting the hang of this!" she beamed. Gob gave a confident smirk, swinging the rifle over his shoulder. It went off with a loud bang, making him drop it with a yelp. The Lone Wanderer barked a laugh and patted him on the back. "Let's wait with the fancy tricks for a while." She snickered and picked the rifle off the ground, handing it to him. He was thankful for his skin being the way it was, or else she would see how much he was blushing from embarassment. She took a break from giggling to give him a genuinely warm smile, and patted his back. "I'm proud of you." It was the first time he'd ever heard it.

* * *

Oops, a little shorter than intended. I'll try to make longer chapters! :') I really want to thank everyone for their support and the nice comments ((you have no idea how happy they make me!)) because it's honestly what's been pushing me to try improving and to continue this thing. I still feel a little bad for all these short chapters, though! I'm kind of shy with my writing, I think. U o U Any constructive criticism would be deeply appreciated! Thank you for all of your help thus far, and for not ditching me yet!


	5. Chapter 5

She carefully slid the holotape into her Pip-Boy, and listened intently as it began playing.

_"Even in Vault 101, my work on Project Purity never really stopped. Soon after we arrived, my nightly routine included sneaking into the restricted areas. Searching for, I don't know, whatever I could find. It was a Vault-Tec facility after all. The place was built with some of the most advanced technology this country had ever developed. Those excursions never turned up anything particularly useful. So one night, after half a bottle of scotch, I broke into the Overseer's office. It was easy enough to hack his console, gain access to the restricted files. Most of it was garbage: propaganda, spy reports.. just plain rambling bullshit, really." _

She smiled at his unexpected use of language. She was having a hard time being pissed at him when she was just so happy to hear his voice again, even if it was recorded on a holotape.

_"But there was one thing, one name that stood out amongst all the others... Dr. Stanislaus Braun. I knew of Braun's work, of course. He was a celebrity in his day. Vault-Tec's sorcerer-scientist, leaving his peers in awe of his technological wizardry. But it was in Vault 101 that night in the Overseer's office, that I first learned of Braun's involvement in Vault-Tec's social preservation program, and his work on something called GECK, Garden of Eden Creation Kit." _

A tear had begun trickling down her cheek, mixing with the dirt in its path. She couldn't place if it was a tear of sadness or joy - she felt both. She popped in the other two. Her father had continued talking about the "G.E.C.K", explaining that he was off to Vault 112 to look for it. She immediately checked her Pip-Boy, scouring the map for its location, to find that it was across the wasteland.

.oOo.

"Jesus.." he panted, wiping some sweat off of his forehead. The one day they had to go hiking across the entire Capital Wasteland was the one day it just HAD to be 40°C out. "Do you have any water left?" Gob rasped.

"All out" she frowned, holding the empty bottle upsidedown demonstratively. He'd gone longer without water, sure, but he'd gotten a little spoiled lately, with the whole new being-fed-on-a-daily-basis system. "Are you alright?" he heard the girl next to him ask.

"Yeah, yeah. Just a little tired is all."

"I see that. Here." she handed him a bottle of pills. Buffout? "I don't use them, but you look like you need something. Just take ONE, I can't have some junkie on my team." she snorted, playfully nudging him with her elbow. He hesitantly screwed off the lid and popped one in his mouth. Some of it accidentally dissolved on his tounge, the bitter taste causing his face to scrunch up in disgust. He made several "blegh" sounds before finally getting it down. It took a while for the drug to have effect. But once it did, he suddenly woke up a little more, feeling a sense of strenght and energy that was unfamiliar to him. He was about to say something when the Lone Wanderer took some faster steps forward and then slowed down to a stop.

.oOo.

Something was moving towards her on the horison. She squinted her eyes, straining her eyes in an attempt to distinguish the shapes.

"Is that..Talon Company?" she mumbled, the full force of realization hitting her as she grabbed Gob by the wrist and pulled him down to the ground. She scrambled for her rifle and aimed it right at them, missing. "God damn it." Focus. She tried again - miss. A bullet shot into the ground next to her, kicking up some dirt. She managed to fire off a shot into one of the guys stomachs, causing him to double over, and eliciting a loud groan of pain from the man. Regaining some of her confidence, she was able to aim the rifle more precisely.

"Can I help?" Gob piped in next to her.

"What? Sure, sure, yeah, take the 10 mm. in my bag." she waved dismissively at him. Surprisingly, it didn't seem to take him too long to get a hang of it. She was able to pluck off a few of them, before a seering pain shot through her shoulder. She had been shot.

.oOo.

The Lone Wanderer woke up in a daze, Gob hovering over her. Did she pass out?

"Heey, you're up." she heard a familiarly raspy voice. Her eyes scanned the room. She was in some sort of garage - tools laid scattered on the floor, and there were a few workbenches. The dirty mattress she had been laying on was thin and stale. She slowly sat up, the ache in her shoulder intensifying when she used her arm for support. She dismissed the pain - she just wanted to get this over with. They'd wasted enough time fighting those... Shit. She cast a glance over at Gob, who was fiddling with his thumbs, apparently waiting for an order of some kind.  
"Gob, did you kill...did you kill those mercs?" she asked.

"I obviously had your help-"

"No, no, Gob, that's wonderful. I mean, shit, I.." She felt a little bad for having such low expectations of him. "..Thank you." She coughed awkwardly before standing up, once more dismissing the pain where she'd been shot. The wound had been cleaned and bandaged - she smiled vaugely. The gesture offered more comfort than the fabric itself did. "Where are we?" she asked, eyes still on Gob as she grabbed the rifle that was leaning up against the wall.

"Smith Casey's Garage. I think this is the way to Vault 112." he replied. The Lone Wanderer brought up her Pipboy to confirm that they were indeed at the garage. This didn't look like a vault.

"Where the hell is the vault?" she couldn't hide the genuinely confused expression that splayed across her face.

"I think I know." Gob mumbled, walking alongside the wall until he reached a switch. He flipped it up, causing a door to open.

"How did you..?" she began, before disregarding it and walking down the staircase. There were no difficulties besides the few molerats residing under the staircase, which they managed to pick off fairly easily. They followed the hallway until they found it. The giant vault door was reminiscent of the one at home. She felt a nauseating sense of homesickness wash over her. Thousands of thoughts were running through her head all at once - what if her father wasn't there? What if he had already left, or worse, what if he was dead? Her train of thought came to a quick stop as she heard the all too familiar siren, along with the screeching sound of the steel door sliding open.

* * *

Ahh, I hope this isn't too messy! I admit I kind of rushed it towards the end because I've been slacking off lately. As usual, the chapter is short and stubby. u_u Hopefully, this is alright!


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